Gigaset GX290 Review: Mobile phone warhorse with long battery life
Vergleichsgeräte
Bewertung | Datum | Modell | Gewicht | Akku | Laufwerk | Groesse | Aufloesung | Preis ab |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75.9 % v7 (old) | 11 / 2019 | Gigaset GX290 Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2 | 279 g | 6200 mAh | 32 GB eMMC Flash | 6.10" | 1560x720 | |
| 74 % v7 (old) | 08 / 2019 | Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s Exynos 7884B, Mali-G71 MP2 | 172 g | 2800 mAh | 32 GB eMMC Flash | 5.00" | 1280x720 | |
| 76.2 % v7 (old) | 08 / 2019 | Ulefone Armor 6E Helio P70, Mali-G72 MP3 | 268 g | 5000 mAh | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 6.20" | 2246x1080 | |
| 75.7 % v7 (old) | 04 / 2019 | Cubot King Kong 3 Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2 | 280 g | 6000 mAh | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 5.50" | 1440x720 |
Case, Equipment and Operation
The Gigaset GX 290 has the typical shape of a rugged smartphone, but its rounded edges and rubberized surface make it relatively easy to hold, even though it weighs 279 grams. The two-component TPU injection-moulded housing is reinforced by a sturdy metal frame so that even falls from a height of 1.20 metres can be safely pushed away from the smartphone. In addition, the GX290 is IP68 dust and waterproof.
The equipment is comparatively luxurious. The USB-C port is capable of OTG and Power Delivery (USB-PD), which is why not only peripherals can be connected to the smartphone, but other devices can also be charged. The GX290 also supports Pump Express+ fast charging technology with up to 18 watts and wireless charging (max. 15 watts). The audio jack and USB port are concealed behind a cover for optimal protection. An analogue radio receiver is also integrated. A memory expansion using an optional microSD card is possible, but the exFAT file system is not supported and formatting as internal memory is not possible.
The fingerprint sensor on the back works very fast and reliable and leads the user directly to the start screen or to an active app after unlocking. Face recognition also works well, but this is only a less reliable 2D recognition.
The operating system used is Android 9.0 Pie, which has the security patches of September 5, 2019 at the time of testing. Due to the lack of DRM widevine L1 certification, protected content cannot be streamed in HD.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| Gigaset GX290 | |
| Ulefone Armor 6E | |
| Cubot King Kong 3 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| Gigaset GX290 | |
| Cubot King Kong 3 | |
| Ulefone Armor 6E | |
Cameras - GX290 with Dual Camera
The Gigaset GX290's 8 MP front camera takes decent pictures. In daylight, however, bright areas in the background quickly burn out and in low light there is visible noise early on.
The dual camera on the back offers 13 plus 2 MP, while the second lens is only responsible for collecting information for the bokeh effect. The image quality is rather mediocre. Different lighting situations quickly overtax the automatic camera and the dynamic range is comparatively low. The ArcSoft software offers many settings and features for this purpose. Videos are possible in Full HD with a maximum of 30 FPS.
Display - Gigaset mobile phone with bright panel
The Gigaset GX290 features a 6.1-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1,560 x 720 pixels and high maximum luminosity as well as uniform illumination. With the APL50 measurement, the values are at the same level and full brightness can be called up in manual mode.
The Gigaset smartphone performs pretty well outdoors and remains readable at all times, even though the reflections will force the user into the shadows on bright days. On the other hand, the display color is weak.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 635 cd/m²
Contrast: 1628:1 (Black: 0.39 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 10.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 11.8 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
93.3% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 1.86
| Gigaset GX290 IPS, 1560x720, 6.1" | Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s IPS (PLS), 1280x720, 5" | Ulefone Armor 6E IPS, 2246x1080, 6.2" | Cubot King Kong 3 IPS, 1440x720, 5.5" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | -57% | -32% | -44% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 34.4 ? | 42 ? -22% | 36 ? -5% | 44 ? -28% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 17.6 ? | 33.6 ? -91% | 28 ? -59% | 28 ? -59% |
| PWM Frequency | 100 ? | |||
| Screen | 1% | 9% | 10% | |
| Brightness middle | 635 | 525 -17% | 357 -44% | 365 -43% |
| Brightness | 615 | 513 -17% | 352 -43% | 379 -38% |
| Brightness Distribution | 91 | 90 -1% | 91 0% | 82 -10% |
| Black Level * | 0.39 | 0.52 -33% | 0.24 38% | 0.14 64% |
| Contrast | 1628 | 1010 -38% | 1488 -9% | 2607 60% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 10.5 | 6 43% | 6.08 42% | 8.03 24% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 17.9 | 10.9 39% | 9.46 47% | 16.34 9% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 11.8 | 7.8 34% | 7 41% | 10.3 13% |
| Gamma | 1.86 118% | 2.53 87% | 2.292 96% | 2.197 100% |
| CCT | 9570 68% | 8605 76% | 7695 84% | 9941 65% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -28% /
-10% | -12% /
1% | -17% /
-1% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 17.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 12.4 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 36 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 34.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 7.6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 26.8 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 44 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance, Emissions and Battery life
The MediaTek Helio P23 is a lower mid-range SoC and is fully adequate for all everyday tasks and simple games. With 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal eMCC memory, the GX290 offers a solid configuration, but the latter shows comparatively weak write rates in the test.
The surface temperatures of the smartphone remain pleasantly low at all times and are only warm to the touch in places even under load.
The loudspeaker on the back is more practical and delivers a usable sound as long as the volume isn't turned to the stop. The audio jack doesn't have much room, which should be considered with thicker plugs.
Thanks to the 6,200 mAh battery, the Gigaset GX290 offers very good battery life and can take the lead in the comparison field, which was to be expected due to the largest energy storage. With PE+, the battery can be recharged quite quickly in just over three hours, wirelessly it takes longer.
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| Ulefone Armor 6E | |
| Cubot King Kong 3 | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V (5840 - 6771, n=6) | |
| Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
| Gigaset GX290 | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| Ulefone Armor 6E | |
| Cubot King Kong 3 | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V (4693 - 5133, n=7) | |
| GFXBench | |
| on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Gigaset GX290 | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| Ulefone Armor 6E | |
| Cubot King Kong 3 | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V (3.5 - 6.5, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.6 - 247, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Gigaset GX290 | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| Ulefone Armor 6E | |
| Cubot King Kong 3 | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V (3.8 - 4.2, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2.3 - 321, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Gigaset GX290 | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| Ulefone Armor 6E | |
| Cubot King Kong 3 | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V (1.4 - 3.8, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 144, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Gigaset GX290 | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| Ulefone Armor 6E | |
| Cubot King Kong 3 | |
| Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V (1.4 - 2.4, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 115, n=207, last 2 years) | |
| Gigaset GX290 | Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | Ulefone Armor 6E | Cubot King Kong 3 | Average 32 GB eMMC Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 37% | 25% | 40% | 47% | 2084% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 275.6 | 298.6 8% | 287.5 4% | 241 -13% | 242 ? -12% | 1887 ? 585% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 33.77 | 85.4 153% | 103.3 206% | 134.3 298% | 100.5 ? 198% | 1474 ? 4265% |
| Random Read 4KB | 33.33 | 59.6 79% | 43.4 30% | 17.21 -48% | 43.2 ? 30% | 279 ? 737% |
| Random Write 4KB | 10.95 | 10.38 -5% | 15.8 44% | 11.21 2% | 22.4 ? 105% | 312 ? 2749% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 81.1 ? | 79.6 ? -2% | 41.7 ? -49% | 81.2 0% | 71.8 ? -11% | |
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 74.3 ? | 64.3 ? -13% | 11.2 ? -85% | 74.3 0% | 52.9 ? -29% |
Temperature
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 36.3 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 32 °C / 90 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.2 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Loudspeakers
Gigaset GX290 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 33.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 8.3% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 8.7% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (29.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 74% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 22% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 86% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 11% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 40% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 52% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 59% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 34% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life
| Gigaset GX290 6200 mAh | Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s 2800 mAh | Ulefone Armor 6E 5000 mAh | Cubot King Kong 3 6000 mAh | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | |||||
| WiFi Websurfing | 1316 | 619 -53% | 942 -28% | 1267 -4% | 988 ? -25% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Robust and enduring
The Gigaset GX290 is a good outdoor smartphone, which convinces with its high resistance and long battery life. The display has a sufficiently high resolution due to its size and above all offers high luminosity reserves. However, Gigaset should have gone to a little more trouble with the color calibration.
A big plus is the strong equipment of the smartphone. In addition to its robustness, there is also IP68 certification, an audio jack, FM radio, a quick charge function and wireless charging.
The Gigaset GX290 convinces in the test with its hard shell, long battery life and comprehensive features.
The Bocholters have to put up with criticism because of the weak loudspeaker, and neither the exFAT file system for the microSD card slot is supported, nor does the GX290 have DRM-L1 certification, so that protected streaming content cannot be viewed in HD.
The SoC is fast enough for everyday tasks, but a newer and more efficient processor would certainly have been able to tickle a lot more power out of the battery.
Nevertheless, the Gigaset GX290 offers an attractive all-in-one package for all those who are looking for a tough everyday companion. Another positive aspect is that Gigaset focuses on sustainability. This starts with the packaging, which is pleasantly small and made of recycled paper and grass fibres. The company from NRW also focuses on reparability, which is intended to guarantee a long smartphone life.
Gigaset GX290
- 11/11/2019 v7 (old)
Daniel Schmidt
Price comparison
